If you’ve been pointing at this booth name like it’s a final exam you did not study for, welcome to the club. Let’s make it easy: L’Arte di Mangiare is pronounced “lar-TEH dee mahn-JAH-reh” (with the emphasis on JAH). It basically means “the art of eating”, which is honestly the most relatable kind of art at EPCOT.

Now that we’re all saying it with confidence (and at least one hand gesture we didn’t know we had 🤌), let’s get into what L’Arte di Mangiare is actually serving at the 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, and whether it’s masterpiece material or just… cafeteria impressionism.

Menu

Over at the L’Arte di Mangiare, you’ll find a variety of Italian delicacies.

Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself!

Eats

The Mozzarella Fritta is returning again this year. This is flash-fried breaded fresh mozzarella with artist palette condiments for $9.50. Yes, it’s fried cheese, and OF COURSE, we’re eating it, even if it is just a circular mozzarella stick. But y’all, this presentation!!! 👏 We don’t really have a lot of complaints about the fried mozzarella because that’s a really hard dish to mess up, right? However, we’re also in LOVE with the sauces it comes with — each one is really solid. It’s cheese with dipping sauces, so we’re sold.

Next up, we picked up a new dish at this location. The Polenta Pasticciata, made with polenta, Bolognese, Parmesan, mozzarella, and tomato sauce, is priced at $8.00. This dish eats like lasagna’s cozy cousin who wears knit sweaters and insists you sit down and relax. We love polenta, but this was…well, we don’t know if it’s polenta, because it was gelatinous and it tasted like it had too much gelatin in it, although polenta doesn’t usually have gelatin, does it? Foodie note: this often happens when it’s not made with enough water. It also really lacked flavor. So this one is a big “nope.”

After all that cheese, it’s time for something sweet. (Though, we’d never turn down an opportunity for MORE cheese). Raspberry Spuma is going to eat like a fancy little raspberry cloud that got dressed up for a gallery opening. “Spuma” is an Italian word that literally means “foam.” In food terms, it’s a light, airy preparation, usually made by whipping or aerating something like fruit purée, cream, custard, or a sauce until it turns fluffy. This Raspberry Spuma is made with vanilla sauce, mint whipped cream, and puffed rice for $5.50. 

Okay, so we’re going to be blunt. This thing was…well, overwhelming. The flavor just hits you, and not in a good way. It’s not that the mint is overwhelming. It’s just that all the flavors are competing with each other, and none of them is a winner. To quote our reporter, it’s like “the universe birthed a new flavor, and it’s called gross.” This is disappointing because we actually liked it last year, but this year, something is seriously off.

Drinks

In terms of drinks on this menu, we ordered the Italian-inspired Margarita with Tequila and Fabrizia Blood Orange Liqueur for $12. We couldn’t taste the blood orange flavor at all. We still enjoyed this drink, but it was missing that burst of flavor we expected. However, it’s still a refreshing frozen drink that’s sweet and not too syrupy.

We also got a Sicilian Sunrise, which is made with Canella Granriviera Mimosa and Luxardo Aperitivo for $16.00.

This Sicilian Sunrise is basically a mimosa that learned how to flirt with bitterness. This starts with bright, bubbly citrus from the Granriviera Mimosa, think orange-leaning, zesty, and “easy sipping” sparkling vibes (some descriptions even call out citrus essence like orange and bergamot). Once you get past that citrus zip, then Luxardo Aperitivo steps in and gives it structure. Bittersweet orange and pink-grapefruit notes, a marmalade-like citrus peel bitterness, and herbal depth from things like rhubarb and gentian (so it finishes more “spritz-worthy” than “breakfast juice”). Our reporter described it as luxurious, but mentioned the bitterness was like drinking perfume, albeit high-end perfume. So this drink is not for everyone.

Overall experience: sparkling, juicy citrus up front, then a bitter, slightly herbal “grown-up” finish. Think “mimosa meets aperitivo hour.”

Who might enjoy it:

• People who like Aperol Spritz or citrus spritzes but want it fruitier and bubblier.
• Mimosa fans who wish mimosas had a little bite and less pure sweetness.
• Anyone who likes orange, grapefruit, and that chic, lightly bitter aperitif finish.

Who might want to avoid it:

• If you hate bitter flavors (citrus peel, grapefruit pith vibes), the Aperitivo will be loud to you.
• If you prefer bone-dry sparkling wine cocktails, this may read too “fruity-sweet + bittersweet.”
• If you strongly dislike herbal notes (gentian or rhubarb style bitterness), same deal.

L’Arte di Mangiare also has some returning beers, wines, and cocktails, including the Peroni Pilsner ($6.50 for 6 ounces and $12 for 12 ounces), Prosecco ($12), Moscato ($12), Chianti ($11), Italian Red Sangria ($12), and Italian-inspired Margarita ($13).

OVERALL

Italy is always the one festival booth that really tries, and then just doesn’t quite get it all together. We will say that you can’t go wrong with the fried cheese, obviously, and we also enjoyed the Italian-inspired margarita. As for everything else, though? We would walk on by.

That’s it for this booth, but there’s a LOT more where that came from!

Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Arts!

Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2026 EPCOT Festival of the Arts? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know:

• Check out all of the food booths getting NEW items this year!
• The full line up of this year’s Souvenirs and Entertainment
• 8 Menu Items To Order If You Want To Win a PRIZE at the EPCOT Festival of the Arts

And don’t forget to pick up our 2026 Festival of the Arts Guide e-book! See more details about the book below.

What items from this booth would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments!